What Lies Beneath
by AD1023
Summary: Beneath the hardened armor of every Cybertronian lies a spark. Including Megatron, the fearsome Decepticon leader. Though his might be filled with hatred, a certain piece of news might allow him to make an exception. After all, how can the warlord not love his own sparkling? Megatron/Soundwave implied


**I'm back! This chapter takes place in between the episodes Tunnel Vision and Triangulation.**

**Warnings: Slight violence, AU, OOC, might be some differences from the episodes**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters only the plot and my OC(s)**

* * *

"Dude! Do you know how cool that thing is!"

"You've only said that about a million times since we _left_ the subway!"

"Just shut up Jack and let me have my moment!"

The other human, a child with an orange sweater, sighed. Although his friends were older than he, they never seemed to stop acting like children. He turned his head around to look back at the one he was talking to.

"So Bee, does it ever feel weird to have stuff pass through you?"

The said mech let out a series of clicks and beeps, while waving the relic in his servos around. The Phase-Shifter was one of the relics that was found with the help of the coordinates in the Iacon database. Similar to a watch, it latched onto the wearer's wrist and pulsed with a blue glow. The relics only ability was to allow the wearer to pass through solid objects, or vice versa. Though it was not the most extravagant relic known to cybertronian kind, it was still fun to mess with.

Forming a fist he punched through the rock wall, only to have his servos pass through. Pulling his arm back, Bee took aim again and swung at the femme in front of him. Once more his arm passed through without any damage. But it didn't mean the femme was amused about it.

"Bee stop it! That Phase-Shifter is not a toy!" Spinning on her pedes to face Bumblebee, Arcee grabbed the scout's 'plaything' and put it on her own wrist.

"And here's the answer to your question Raf." Holding a digit out, she poked the small child. The metal glided smoothly through his body as if it were made of oil. Arcee stormed off into the hallway, muttering about storage vaults and being responsible, all while having a complaining scout at her heels.

"Don't you "_Arcee!" _me Bee, you need to stop playing around." Throwing his head back with annoyance, Bee trudged slowly back to where his human, Raf, was sitting.

The scout let out low groans and clicks, signifying his disappointment while Raf just laughed at him. Apparently it wasn't just Miko and Jack who were immature. Resuming his earlier task, his fingers clicked away at the laptop as he checked in on the other 'bots.

"Hmm," a few more clicks could be heard as Raf checked the monitors.

"Well, what is it?" The sound of Miko's boots made solid thuds on the metal stair case as she ran up.

"Optimus seems to be in the right location..."

"But," the teen loomed over her friends shoulder, her impatience was growing. Then again when was Miko ever patient?

"But he hasn't commed the base yet. I just hope that the cons don't get this relic first."

"Yeah, but Optimus would totally kick their metal asses!" Her right fist launched into the air, similar to a rock star. "But Raf-"

"What?"

"I betcha ten bucks that Bulk will get back to base first!"

* * *

Soundwave's screen blinked once more with the repeated message. He had been standing in the med bay for what seemed like hours.

"I truly am sorry Soundwave," The red medic was on his knees looking through the endless amounts of crates and storage units, "But I am currently in a life threatening situation right now! Just go have a seat over there." he gestured to one of the medical berths.

With an unseen roll of his optics Soundwave could only watch as the medic searched through different crates before throwing them behind him. The med bay was starting to become a mess. The floor was littered with empty or spilled crates of different devices and tools. One even held a stash of extra limbs. Whether from_ "donors"_ or if they were constructed, Soundwave couldn't tell.

"Fragging two wheelers!" Knockout muttered, "Finally!"

Curious to see what he had been looking for, a lone question mark appeared on Soundwave's screen.

"My buffer!"

_Of course it would be..._Soundwave thought silently.

"Then again, since Breakdown isn't here to buff me, I suppose I'll just have to wait..." the doctor muttered to himself.

He placed the buffer on the counter and began picking up the tools he had thrown in his 'life threatening search'.

"So Soundy, what were you here for?" the violet mech's head swiveled to face Knockout. The red medic had always constantly been calling Soundwave these strange nicknames. His only guess was that the medic did it to make him talk. As if that would ever happen.

Not wanting to repeat his earlier message, Soundwave gathered a data packet that had been created exactly for this reason. Within it he listed his symptoms and every disease related. In a matter of seconds, the data pad in Knockout's servos blinked with a notification.

"Still not one for words?" The medic quickly scrolled through all twenty pages. If Soundwave would break his silence vow, then life would probably be much easier. Not only would he not be receiving tiring data packets from Soundwave, but he wouldn't have to guess if the mech was pissed off or irritated. When Soundwave snapped (mostly towards Starscream) he would just out of nowhere send a ground bridge under his feet or smack him from behind.

"..."

"Alright then."

The next few minutes continued in silence. Knockout began looking through Soundwave's earlier medical records. Although that didn't seem to help either. Soundwave seemed to only come into the medical bay to have the yearly maintenance checkups that all decepticons were required to have.

"So the reports say that you felt a bit of a..."weight" on your spark correct?"

A single nod.

Walking up to the medical berth, Knockout couldn't see any places in which Soundwave's armor could be pressing into his spark chamber. Nothing. At least nothing he could see.

"Off please." He knocked twice on Laserbeak before looking back at Soundwave. "The cat too."

Various whirs of gears could be heard as the Soundwave's back plating shifted. Most of the crew had heard of Soundwave and his many sybiotes and believed that Ravage was killed during the war on cybertron. Ravage was _not_ killed, but rather in a critical state. Soundwave repaired him eventually and deemed it best that his companion did not for take in as many missions like Laser beak. Ravage soon leaped onto the floor and stalked away. Presumably to hide under a table or desk and recharge. Laserbeak soon followed and took to perching on Ravage's tail.

"Hmm...your armor doesn't seem to pressing into your spark chamber."

A moment of silence followed as Knockout exchanged the data pad in his servos for a small scanner. Walking back towards the medical berth, Knockout proceeded to carry out the scans. A bit of muttering could be heard as he did so. Mostly about how performing a scan and then analyzing it would take time out of his polishing session.

_Vain, selfish, conceited and narcissistic...Am I leaving anything out? _

Soundwave could only try to stifle his amusement as he listened to Ravage's opinion of the red decepticon. While Laserbeak too had her opinions she preferred to share them in the privacy of her host's quarters. Ravage, on the other hand, did not care at all. If it was rude, so be it.

"Alright Soundwave, I'm finished. I'll have to look over the scans but for now you and your pets can scuttle off."

_And there is the one I forgot. VERY disrespectful. We are not 'pets'._

Soundwave then stood and headed towards the exit. Knockout could only watch silently as both of Soundwave's symbiotes rushed forward from beneath the desk and melted into their host's armor.

Seeing Laserbeak was a pretty common sight around the Nemesis. She was often dispatched for various recon missions. Ravage on the other hand was hardly seen at all. In fact, Knockout was pretty sure that the only decepticons that knew Ravage was still alive were himself, Megatron and of course, Soundwave.

"Still a bit strange." the medic sighed before glancing at the now shut door. He glanced around the med bay before his optics landed on the buffer. "And because of _you_," he glared coldly at the buffer, "I have to clean up the rest of the med bay."

* * *

Heading towards the control room Soundwave's digits swiftly punched in his check in code. The small box blinked twice, signifying that he had successfully arrived on time to his shift. Being late would be inefficient and could lead the vehicons to do the same. If all the drones were out roaming the Nemesis or this human-infested planet, how could the decepticons win the war?

As the door opened he stared at the room of vehicons working on various monitors. This "branch" of drones were smarter than their mining or army based relatives. After all, you can't put a mining drone in front of a monitor full of code and expect him to solve it. The technician drones rarely left the Nemesis as they were stuck in the many rooms of computers. As of now, they were to manage the ship as Soundwave was the only one who was able to decode the Iacon database.

His footsteps echoed in the silence as the drones stared at their commanding officer. Walking over to the drone who was stationed in front of the ship's navigation screen (D3R3K he believed was the drone's designation).

"_...Report t-...data...vital."_

"Yes sir. Right away."

Knowing that Soundwave wasn't one who particularly enjoyed talking, D3R3K grabbed the data pad that had been sitting on the counter for this very purpose. Being a 'con of few words himself, the drone understood why his commanding officer preferred to not speak at all. He actually admired the silent mech. The way he carried himself with the fact that many feared and respected him. His buddy ST3V3 was one of those who did.

"_Carry thi-...on bo-."_

Even through the tangled web of voices in Soundwave's recordings, D3R3K understood what his commander meant. Having an entire Earth month of cleaning the Nemesis's vents taught one to understand what the silent officer meant to say.

The report was quickly scanned and saved in Soundwave's memory banks. Since the ship wasn't falling from the sky, Soundwave deemed it unnecessary to read the hourly reports. Releasing his tentacles from his chest, the spinning tips pulsed with purple light as they locked into the large screen in front of him. He remained motionless as he slowly began to decode the database. Of all the years he had served Megatron and the decepticon cause, nothing had been as taxing as this.

_"Soundwave!"_

The sudden comm. link jolted the mech from his motionless state. The sudden surprise led for his cables to instinctively retract. Which also led for him to lose all his data.

_Shit._

It was a new word he had picked up from the humans and their web. It was often used in times of disappointment or anger. Now just seemed like a good to time to use it.

_"Report to the control room immediately."_

The violet mech quickly left through the doors once more. Normally Megatron would not interrupt Soundwave from the decoding unless it was of utmost importance. Like another mission. After making the decision that walking all the way across the Nemesis would be an unwise idea, Soundwave froze before a short set of coordinates appeared on his visor.

His silent footsteps carried him through the swirling colors of green light before it closed behind him.

* * *

_"Lord Megatron ca- I-..live to serve."_

"Soundwave."

The mech stared blankly in response. The only noise being the drones typing away in the background.

"I have a mission for you. Retrieve the third relic using the third set of coordinates. Take as little time as possible." His glaring eyes shone reflectively in Soundwave's visor. "And most important of all, do _not _disappoint me!"

With a slight nod, Soundwave turned around before walking through the ground bridge behind.

As if he would fail. Please!

When was the last time he did?

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**Yeah...I need some help with the summary. Drop a PM if you have an idea and I will credit you in the next chapter. *_Solutes with right hand* _Writer's honor!_  
_**

**Leave reviews, followers and favorites please!**

**~A.D.**


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